Evening Prayer

--Today is the Feast of Athanasius--
Easter
On this day the Lord has acted; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

Saint and Major Saints' Days
You are no longer strangers and sojourners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God. Ephesians 2:19

Confession of Sin
Most merciful God,
I confess that I have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what I have done, and by what I have left undone. I have not loved you with my whole heart; I have not loved my neighbors as myself. I am truly sorry and I humbly repent. For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on me and forgive me; that I may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen

The Invitatory and Psalter

Lord, open our lips. And our mouth shall proclaim your praise
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen   Alleluia


From Easter to Pentecost, Christ the Passover  can be used in place of the Venite or Jubilate.

Christ the Passover  1 Corinthians 5:7 to 8; Romans 6:9 to 11; 1 Corinthians 15:20 to 22
Alleluia.
Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us;
  therefore let us keep the feast,
Not with old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil,
  but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.

Christ being raised from the dead will never die again;
  death no longer has dominion over him.
The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all;
  but the life he lives, he lives to God.
So also consider yourselves dead to sin,
  and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.

  the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
For since by a man came death,
  by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.
For as in Adam all die,
  so in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia.

Venite
The Antiphon:

ⓘ   A short, reflective sentence recited alongside a psalm to deepen our understanding of the readings.

Thanks be to God, who gives us victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:57

The Lessons

Psalm 16

⁽¹⁾ Preserve me, O God, for in You I put my trust. ⁽²⁾ O my soul, you have said to the LORD, 'You are my Lord, My goodness is nothing apart from You.' ⁽³⁾ As for the saints who are on the earth, 'They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.' ⁽⁴⁾ Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god; Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer, Nor take up their names on my lips.

⁽⁵⁾ O LORD,You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot. ⁽⁶⁾ The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places; Yes, I have a good inheritance. ⁽⁷⁾ I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel; My heart also instructs me in the night seasons. ⁽⁸⁾ I have set the LORD always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

⁽⁹⁾ Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope. ⁽¹⁰⁾ For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ⁽¹¹⁾ You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Psalm 17

⁽¹⁾ Hear a just cause, O LORD, Attend to my cry; Give ear to my prayer which is not from deceitful lips. ⁽²⁾ Let my vindication come from Your presence; Let Your eyes look on the things that are upright. ⁽³⁾ You have tested my heart; You have visited me in the night; You have tried me and have found nothing; I have purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. ⁽⁴⁾ Concerning the works of men, By the word of Your lips, I have kept away from the paths of the destroyer.

⁽⁵⁾ Uphold my steps in Your paths, That my footsteps may not slip. ⁽⁶⁾ I have called upon You, for You will hear me, O God; Incline Your ear to me, and hear my speech. ⁽⁷⁾ Show Your marvelous lovingkindness by Your right hand, O You who save those who trust in You From those who rise up against them. ⁽⁸⁾ Keep me as the apple of Your eye; Hide me under the shadow of Your wings,

⁽⁹⁾ From the wicked who oppress me, From my deadly enemies who surround me. ⁽¹⁰⁾ They have closed up their fat hearts; With their mouths they speak proudly. ⁽¹¹⁾ They have now surrounded us in our steps; They have set their eyes, crouching down to the earth, ⁽¹²⁾ As a lion is eager to tear his prey, And like a young lion lurking in secret places.

⁽¹³⁾ Arise, O LORD, Confront him, cast him down; Deliver my life from the wicked with Your sword, ⁽¹⁴⁾ With Your hand from men, O LORD, From men of the world who have their portion in this life, And whose belly You fill with Your hidden treasure. They are satisfied with children, And leave the rest of their possession for their babes. ⁽¹⁵⁾ As for me, I will see Your face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied when I awake in Your likeness.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.

Daniel Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Nebuchadnezzar the king made an image of gold, whose height was sixty cubits and its width six cubits. He set it up in the plain of Dura, in the province of Babylon. ⁽²⁾ And King Nebuchadnezzar sent word to gather together the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁽³⁾ So the satraps, the administrators, the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered together for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up; and they stood before the image that Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁽⁴⁾ Then a herald cried aloud: 'To you it is commanded, O peoples, nations, and languages,

⁽⁵⁾ that at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, you shall fall down and worship the gold image that King Nebuchadnezzar has set up; ⁽⁶⁾ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace.' ⁽⁷⁾ So at that time, when all the people heard the sound of the horn, flute, harp, and lyre, in symphony with all kinds of music, all the people, nations, and languages fell down and worshiped the gold image which King Nebuchadnezzar had set up. ⁽⁸⁾ Therefore at that time certain Chaldeans came forward and accused the Jews.

⁽⁹⁾ They spoke and said to King Nebuchadnezzar, 'O king, live forever! ⁽¹⁰⁾ You, O king, have made a decree that everyone who hears the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, shall fall down and worship the gold image; ⁽¹¹⁾ and whoever does not fall down and worship shall be cast into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. ⁽¹²⁾ There are certain Jews whom you have set over the affairs of the province of Babylon: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego; these men, O king, have not paid due regard to you. They do not serve your gods or worship the gold image which you have set up.'

⁽¹³⁾ Then Nebuchadnezzar, in rage and fury, gave the command to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego. So they brought these men before the king. ⁽¹⁴⁾ Nebuchadnezzar spoke, saying to them, 'Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego, that you do not serve my gods or worship the gold image which I have set up? ⁽¹⁵⁾ Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?' ⁽¹⁶⁾ Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, 'O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter.

⁽¹⁷⁾ If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. ⁽¹⁸⁾ But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.'

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

1 John Chapter 3

⁽¹⁾ Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. ⁽²⁾ Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. ⁽³⁾ And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. ⁽⁴⁾ Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

⁽⁵⁾ And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. ⁽⁶⁾ Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. ⁽⁷⁾ Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. ⁽⁸⁾ He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

⁽⁹⁾ Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. ⁽¹⁰⁾ In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother.

The Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Luke Chapter 3

⁽¹⁵⁾ Now as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not, ⁽¹⁶⁾ John answered, saying to all, 'I indeed baptize you with water; but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁽¹⁷⁾ His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather the wheat into His barn; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire.' ⁽¹⁸⁾ And with many other exhortations he preached to the people.

⁽¹⁹⁾ But Herod the tetrarch, being rebuked by him concerning Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done, ⁽²⁰⁾ also added this, above all, that he shut John up in prison. ⁽²¹⁾ When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. ⁽²²⁾ And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, 'You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.'

The Gospel of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

The Second Song of Isaiah      Isaiah 55:6 to 11

Seek the Lord while he wills to be found;
call upon him when he draws near.
Let the wicked forsake their ways
and the evil ones their thoughts;
And let them turn to the Lord, and he will have compassion,
and to our God, for he will richly pardon.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
For as rain and snow fall from the heavens
and return not again, but water the earth,
Bringing forth life and giving growth,
seed for sowing and bread for eating,
So is my word that goes forth from my mouth;
it will not return to me empty;
But it will accomplish that which I have purposed,
and prosper in that for which I sent it.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.


The Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.
I believe in Jesus Christ, his only son, our Lord.
  He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
  He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.
  He descended to the dead.
  On the third day he rose again.
  He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
  He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
  the holy catholic Church,
  the communion of saints,
  the forgiveness of sins,
  the resurrection of the body,
  and the life everlasting. Amen.

The Prayers

The Lord's Prayer   Traditional
Suffrages A

Seasonal Collect:  Second Sunday of Easter
Almighty and everlasting God, who in the Paschal mystery established the new covenant of reconciliation: Grant that all who have been reborn into the fellowship of Christ’s Body may show forth in their lives what they profess by their faith; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Collect of the Day: Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for Mission: O God, you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth, and sent your blessed Son to preach peace to those who are far off and to those who are near: Grant that people everywhere may seek after you and find you; bring the nations into your fold; pour out your Spirit upon all flesh; and hasten the coming of your kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Personal Prayers and Reflection

This is a time to pause, consider and listen. Pray for yourself and others. When you lack the words


Closing Prayers   Thanksgiving

Conclude with the following
Let Us Bless the Lord, Thanks be to God

May the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Romans 15:13